I have spent very little while staying in Florida, but yesterday I splurged and bought some shoes at DSW. I got a pair of Clark sandals and some Saucony athletic shoes, both for $77. Seems pretty pricey to me, but my sales slip tells me I saved $63. Oh well, I really need to wear quality shoes, I have difficult feet.

Speaking of feet, I also got a pedicure, my first, but my cousin paid for that. Not sure how often I'll have it done, but my toes are dazzling. I can hardly keep my head up; I keep looking at my toes!

I spent $1245 in February.

$686 - Medical/Health. Included a periodontal treatment, doctor's visit, blood draw and prescriptions.

$184 - Vacation/Travel. Trip to Florida, one-way. I'm still in Florida, so more cost on next month's budget.

$86 - Groceries.

$11 - Gifts.

$45 - Phone bill.

$86 - Furniture/Equipment. Two ink cartridges and a wireless mouse.

$9 - Clothing. Underwear.

$43 - Fees/Services. Most of it for tax preparation.

$18 - Entertainment. Two movies & Netflix rental.

$38 - Household supplies.

$16 - Personal. Included a haircut.

$13 - Vet/Pet Supplies. Cat food & dog treats.

$10 - Gas (not counting gas used on vacation)

Pretty good month, except for the medical expenses. Racked up 12 no-spend days.

Waking up in sunny Florida today! It was a good trip, though tiring.

Costwise: Gas was about $90, with prices getting higher the further south I went. I stayed in a Red Roof Inn in Georgia, using a coupon from Roomsaver.com. It was about $60 including taxes. I spent more than usual for food on the road. I didn't pack any snacks because my mouth is still too sensitive to eat anything hard or crunchy. I made several stops at Mickey D's, KFC, and Cracker Barrel. I spent about $30 on food, which included feeding the dog.

I slept poorly in the RRI, because my dog is uncomfortable in hotels, and pants and paces. I think he is afraid we're staying there permanently! I started the next day at 5:00 a.m., since my dog had to go relieve himself, and I figured I might as well get going since I was awake. Arrived at my cousin's house about 1:00 p.m., very tired, but didn't go to bed until after the Oscars. A long day! But now I am refreshed, and ready to enjoy this nice weather.

Yesterday I spent a lot. First I went to the doctor ($214). She gave me a prescription for a generic statin ($5) and told me to get a specific brand of CoQ10 ($34, only available at the natural foods co-op). I bought some dental supplies ($7) and cat food ($11). Then I went to a movie with my sister ($6) and we shopped at Big Lots afterwards, where I spent only $8 on two bras (what a deal!) Then I gave $2000 to the landscaper who laid sod. Whoa! Luckily, I will get THAT money back, as my cousin is paying for the yard work. Still, it felt like I was bleeding money.

Today I paid the cell phone bill, $45.

Tomorrow I am heading to Florida for two weeks, but I will take my laptop and will be checking in.

Hope to make this a CHEAP trip, as I am feeling poor!

That doesn't happen very often! I went this morning to have my second round periodontal treatment, but since I haven't healed very well from the first one, we decided not to go ahead with it.

I have a very sore spot behind my back molar, and a lump in my jaw. The dentist believes that both of these will settle down in time. Meanwhile, I am taking antibiotics. ($4 -- gotta love Wal-Mart!) And I am eating soft food!

The second treatment has been postponed till the middle of March.

I have had to spend a little on computer things -- I needed new ink cartridges for my printer, so I got them through MyPoints at 123 Inkjet. About $45. And I finally broke down and bought a new wireless mouse ($39). While my old one never totally broke down, it was so irritating to always have to shake it and blow on it. (Yes!) Very nice to have one that's really working again.

Also got some Advil and baby aspirin while at WM -- about $10.

This morning, four days after my first periodontal treatment, I had to admit that the gum around my molar was getting worse, not better -- possibly aggravated by my trying to floss there, but anyway, it shouldn't be as puffy and painful as it is.

I called my dentist and he said it was an unusual reaction, but probably just post-op sensitivity. He called in a prescription for amoxicillin and told me to double up on my Advil. I picked up the Rx this morning and have taken the first dose. ($4 at Wal-Mart) Hope, hope, hope that this will do the trick. He still wants to do the other half of my mouth on Tuesday.

While I was at Wal-Mart I bought some greeting cards ($8) and groceries ($20). Most of the cards were less than a dollar, except for a "thinking of you" card for my brother's widow and an anniversary card for my son and his wife. Those had to be nice, and just right.

The main reason I bought groceries was to get more Ensure. I am relying on it for nutrition while my mouth is so sore.

Yesterday I saw an ad for a 75% off sale at SteinMart. I checked it out, but ended up not buying a thing. Nothing really appealed. I'm so proud of myself for walking out without buying, even at that price. Got much more pleasure out of spending $8 on cards!

Today I felt good enough to get out a little so I got my hair cut and bought some groceries.

I went to Great Clips, because I had a newspaper coupon for a $5.99 haircut. The gal I had did a great job! I took her name so I can ask for her next time. The haircut was $8, including the tip.

At Wal-Mart I used coupons for the first time in a coon's age! My savings were $6.65, on a bill totaling $91.64. Not really amazing savings, but when you consider that Wal-Mart's prices are already good, I think it's worth the effort.

I was very pleased to FINALLY find mackerel on the shelves! It is my dog's favorite food, and the fish oil is good for his arthritis. This is the first time I've found mackerel since I moved to North Carolina -- I figured it must not be a Southern thing.

I went to the dentist yesterday for my first periodontal root & scale. I was terrified, practically shaking in my boots.

The actual procedure was not really that bad, since I was all numb, but I had trouble getting that way. Since I had jaw surgery about ten years ago, my nerves are harder to find in my lower jaw. The first shot didn't do anything, so the dentist came back and really laid them on. Finally, I got really numb. It didn't wear off for four hours. Now the joint in my jaw is very sore.

When the numbness wore off I had some substantial pain in my gums, but I took Advil and slept pretty well last night. I am still sore today, but better. A little queasy in the stomach -- I must have swallowed some blood.

The procedure cost $400 and will cost another $400 when I go back on Tuesday to do the rest of my mouth. It will be hard to get myself in there, but for now I'm just going to rest, relax and baby myself.

I've had a couple days of ALMOST no spending -- I did use .60 to make some copies at the library. I needed to make a copy of my insurance card for the good folks who will doing my colonoscopy next month. I also wanted to make a copy of the deed to my family plot -- I don't know if there is still room in it, but I am thinking about my eventual demise (a LONG way off, I hope!) and want to make things easy for my kids, who will have to do something with my mortal remains. If there is space in the family plot, I will arrange to be buried there. Otherwise, I think cremation is a good option. All pretty creepy to think about, I know. But let's face it, death WILL happen to all of us!

I did my taxes yesterday and I have refunds coming from federal and both states. About $1800 all together, so I'm happy.

I used Turbo Tax ($36) for the federal and for my Indiana return. I started the NC return but it was showing some crazy results, so I cancelled it, and did it on paper. I didn't play it out on Turbo Tax, so it might have turned out all right, but in the refund/pay preview box it was suggesting that I might owe $1700! I think it was assuming that my wages were earned in NC, but it was all earned in Indiana. Anyway, on paper I'm getting a refund of $69. Quite a difference.

I'm thrilled -- this will really help pay my dental bills.

I also just qualified for a $10 check from MySurvey, and just did another Pinecone survey for $5. Love it!

Today I got a mammogram and a bone density test -- both at the same place, so that was convenient! I'm really trying to improve my health. I've been exercising, too. No more excuses!

While I was out, I stopped at the filling station and topped off my tank. I only spent $9.84, but gas was a little cheaper than the last time I filled up, and I'm determined to fill up whenever the price drops. Today it was $2.92 per gallon.

I also stopped at Wal-Mart and bought some groceries and household supplies for $36.08.

I'm getting a $100 check from CapitalOne. I had more than 20,000 No Hassle Miles. It's just never worked out to use them on plane tickets. I didn't realize I could get cash instead. I hope it will come in time to put toward my dental appointment.

Frugal activity of the day: I scrounged in the freezer for dinner and found two veggie burgers I didn't know I had! I also took out some soup to thaw. I found a package of mystery meat -- I just couldn't remember what it was, but decided to let it thaw -- it started to smell bad -- then I remembered. Garbage! I sometimes freeze garbage so it won't stink in the can, but sometimes I forget all about it! It went back in the freezer, 'cause garbage day isn't until Monday.

My Superbowl "party" didn't happen, as my sister's husband was feeling antisocial yesterday. He's a bit temperamental, to put it mildly.

So my sister and I went to see "The Bucket List" instead. I had high expectations for this movie, and some of them were met, some not. Overall, it was good.

The movie was $6.50, and that's all I've spent so far this month.

I am dragging my feet on starting my taxes. Since I sold a house last year and did not invest in another one, I'm afraid I'm going to get hit hard. Ah well, time to get my head out of the sand!

My sister & hubby came over for cards. They were full from a big lunch, so no snacks were needed today.

Tomorrow we will have a Superbowl party of sorts. They will bring shrimp. I will pull out the cheeseball that didn't get eaten today. I will also make deviled eggs, and maybe a Waldorf salad, as I have plenty of apples on hand.

My frugal activity of the day: I went through all my old papers and pulled out the crossword puzzle sections. Cheap entertainment and brain exercise, too!

My dog seems to have an upset stomach. I looked for remedies on the internet. Pepto was suggested, but my dog wouldn't eat it. Yogurt was also suggested, and that went down fine. Hope he gets to feeling better. I know the vet will not be available tomorrow.

My son and his girlfriend have come and gone. We had a wonderful time, but it cost me -- $94 for groceries, $113 for eating out, $60 for his birthday gift. Ouch. But these are the times I live for -- this is why I scrimp, so I can have great times like this! We did some sightseeing, ate at a gorgeous lakeside restaurant, and played lots of games.

This morning I totaled up my January spending. I spent $5855, but $4802 was for my annual medical premium. Otherwise I spent $225 on the dentist, $176 on gifts, $170 on groceries, $130 on travel, $113 on eating out, $61 on clothing, $45 on my phone bill, $33 on miscellaneous, $27 on entertainment, $24 on personal care, $12 on fees & services, $11 on pet care, $11 on gas, and $3 on household supplies. Not too bad, for a month which turned out to be pretty active.

Today I have been busy in the kitchen. I had some bananas going soft, so I decided to make a banana cake. As I got into it, I realized I didn't have buttermilk (or milk), but I substituted sour cream, and it seemed to work. But I had trouble with the frosting. I wanted to make a caramel frosting, and I found a recipe on the web that didn't call for milk. But it turned out awful. So bad I scraped it off the cake. Then I made a cream cheese frosting, which was better.

I also made a cheese ball. I guess you would have to say I actually remade a cheese ball. I had half a cheese ball left in the fridge. I let it get soft and then blended in some shredded cheddar and rolled it in chopped nuts. We'll eat it tomorrow when my sister & her husband come over for cards. And I won't confess. My sister does not approve of the frugal life.

Although I am retired now, I spent many years in an office environment where business dress was required. We didn’t have to wear suits, but hose, heels, blazers, skirts and dress pants were everyday wear.

A lot of people I worked with spent a ton on their clothes. I didn’t, and I think I looked every bit as nice.

There are three parts to dressing on a budget: planning, acquiring, and maintaining a wardrobe.

Planning:
You have to know what you have in order to know what you need. I inventoried my clothes on a regular basis. I didn’t write everything down, but made a mental note of what kind of clothing I had in good supply, and what was lacking. What made this task easier was keeping my clothes sorted by type, and then by color. Yeah, very anal, I know!

When I felt something specific was needed, like a navy blazer, I wrote in down in a little notebook I carried in my purse. I didn’t necessarily buy it right away, but watched for it to appear at the right price while I was shopping.

Acquiring:
I shopped at the mall, or at any retail clothing store, VERY RARELY. I acquired most of my clothes at garage sales, Goodwill and a resale shop which deeply discounted clothing due to “expire” at the end of every month. I used my list, of course, but I also bought clothing that was in good shape, the right style, and the right price, even if it wasn’t on my list. I would say I bought 90% of my wardrobe this way.

Some things I just never could find secondhand. I usually had to buy shoes, boots, casual coats, and, of course, underwear at retail stores. For these I haunted the 50-70% off racks at stores like Macy’s, where the quality was good. Again, if I saw a sale that was terrific, I would buy outside of my list. But I was careful never to buy in categories in which I was “overstocked.”

I have to add, I was also very gracious in accepting any clothing people offered to give me. I couldn’t necessarily use everything I was given, but I got some real gems this way.

Another point – I tended to stick to a certain color spectrum. I look good in black and white, light pastels, jewel colors and primary colors, so I stuck to those. I never bought beige, except for pants, or heathery colors, for instance. So almost everything I had worked well together.

Well, I'm pretty proud of myself anyway. The remote on our gas fireplace wasn't working -- I couldn't find the manual -- so I changed the batteries, reset the remote, got down on the floor and took off the panel and looked at the wiring. No dice. Couldn't figure it out. Finally I found a manual online and figured out that the receiver, which is behind the panel, was the unit that needed new batteries, not the transmitter. Now it works! Ta-da!

Today was a spender. I spent $94 on groceries. With my son and his girlfriend coming, I had to stock up. And I also bought a book of stamps for $7.38.

A few days ago I posted the news that the restaurant my son manages had closed. He called me last night to let me know it will reopen next week. Even so, he is updating his resume and reviewing other options. This job has been a rollercoaster, and he would like some stability. He also wants to relocate to Chicago to be near his brother.

He also said he is in Savannah with his girlfriend and they will spend a few days with me on their way back! I'm so excited! Not too sure yet what I'll do to entertain them, but I am planning on hosting a lunch/dinner on Sunday that will include my sister, cousin and their spouses. I'm going to make steakhouse hamburgers, spinach & fruit salad, fried potatoes & onions, and Harvard brownies.

My first thought was taking them to a nice restaurant -- but with all that money having to go toward my teeth, I had to nip that thought in the bud!

I spent $0 today. I redeemed my Discover cashback bonus by applying it to my account. I put most of my spending on Discover and pay it off each month. This month it is high, because of Christmas and traveling expenses. So that will help a little.

Periodontal disease has set in, plus I need two crowns (one a replacement)and a filling.

For the periodontal disease I have to schedule two sessions of scale and root planing, $400 each. Then I have to go on an every-three-months cleaning schedule. This is the best-case scenario -- if it doesn't help, I have to have surgery.

The crowns will cost $1100 each, including crown buildup and pins. The filling will be $175.

I am so shocked, I don't know quite what to do with myself. I knew that at my age I was likely to begin having problems -- and I have felt some discomfort. I just didn't think it would be this bad.

What really makes me mad is that I have only myself to blame for not being more diligent about flossing. Floss, people! It really is important.

After I got back my sister called and asked if I wanted to go see Juno at the theater. Did I! I needed some comfort. It was a delightful movie.

I am continuing to try to conserve in little ways -- although right now it seems hopeless. I walked a letter to the mailbox rather than running it to the post office, thus saving a little gas. I fixed my Kitchenaid stand mixer by finding a solution on the internet, saving a repair fee. I walked from the doctor's office (where I had blood drawn) to the dentist's office, even though it was early, and waited there, saving more gas and getting a little exercise. I resisted the temptation to get breakfast at a restaurant after the blood draw. Since I had to fast for the draw, I didn't eat until I got home from the dentist at 11:00. I was hungry, but after the shocker at the dentist I was glad I hadn't wasted any money on eating out.

Spending today: $225 for x-rays, examination and cleaning at the dentist, $6.25 for the movie.

Now I'll just take my tin cup to the street corner....

I just transferred $10 from Pinecone into my bank account. I noticed I have $20 coming back from Discover, but I haven't transferred it yet.

I figured out that I will have to save $170 a month to have enough to pay my medical premium next January. (That's in addition to savings I already have). My income from my pension is only $637 right now, and I suspect with the stock market dropping my income will drop as well. Granted, I have few expenses, but it's scary.

This was a no spender. Also, I did some aerobics and walked the dog. Trying to get back into some good habits. If I have to be poor, I'm at least going to be healthy!

Today I went to the doctor -- no charge for now -- it will come later, I'm sure. She said, I have three things to say to you: mammography, bone density test, colonoscopy. I told her she was no fun. On Thursday I have to go get blood drawn to have my cholesterol checked, and I have to get my blood pressure (which was too high) rechecked in one month. Sigh.

Then I dropped off a bag of clothes at Goodwill, deposited a check in the bank, picked up dry cleaning ($12) and bought groceries ($54). I also topped off my tank, because prices were so low. That was $11.

Now I hope to go for another week without spending anything. Except for the $225 I will have to plunk down at the dentist on Thursday. Golly, body maintenance is expensive! Worse than a car.

More card games today, with my sister and her husband. And we watched some of the NE-SD game.

Before they came, I made a cheesy Mexican eggplant casserole -- only fair. I also made oatmeal cookies that turned out only fair. But food came to the door. My sister brought pulled pork, plus lots of snacky things. My cousin dropped off some white chili to taste-test for a chili cookoff at work. So I've got LOTS of food. I feel a little guilty.

Yesterday I did two Pinecone surveys, so I should have $10 soon. And I am edging over 3,000 points on MyPoints. I think I'll get a gift card for Burger King or Subway -- something I can use on trips.

I have to go to the doctor tomorrow. Don't look forward to that! Just a "first checkup." I hope it warms up a little -- I also plan to do all my errands so I can combine trips. I have to go to the bank and Goodwill and the dry cleaners, and I should make a Wal-Mart stop, too. Hopefully, that will be it for the week.

My older son called last night to tell me that his restaurant closed. He was the manager. The owner had neglected to renew the liquor license and they were heavily fined. The restaurant may reopen in a month, but my son is looking at other options.

I feel so sorry for him. He was having so much trouble getting himself established, and then it seemed like finally everything was working out for him. Now he has to start over.

I can't believe his boss was such an idiot.

He says he has enough money to live on for a couple of months, so I will try not to worry.

Well, I ventured out once yesterday, just to check the mail. It looks like neither the mail or the paper was delivered. Being from the Midwest, it really amuses me how freaked out people down here get about a little snowfall. This is nothing! But I admit, the possibility of ice is scary.

Today I may stay in as well, not because of the weather, but because it guarantees I won't spend! Well, unless I shop online, but I don't do that except at Christmas.

My plans for today are to do a load of laundry and make an eggplant casserole. I am a very frugal laundress. I don't make my own detergent or anything like that -- I've tried but didn't like the results. But what I do is use just a smidgeon of detergent and then let the laundry soak all day. In the early evening I'll let the washer run and finish up. My laundry is always very clean and I go through detergent very slowly.

I am having a lot of trouble with my wireless mouse, which I used to love! Now it just stops working for no reason. Then it starts up again for no reason. I have changed the batteries, cleaned it, etc. but it still fails suddenly. I don't want to have to replace it, even though it's not a lot of money. I'm trying so hard to spend NOTHING NECESSARY this month, and a mouse isn't necessary, is it, on a laptop? I can use the pad, I just don't like it....

I woke up this morning to a beautiful blanket of snow. I am living in a postcard!

I just saw someone trying to drive up the hill in front of my house, and he didn't make it. So I guess I am stuck inside. Well, that will guarantee a no-spender.

The other day I made a low-cost recipe from Woman's Day -- penne with mushrooms and bacon. Even though I halved the recipe, it made a ton. So the second day I made it different by warming it up with marinara sauce. Today I'm going to make some Alfredo sauce. If there's still some left tomorrow, I'll toss it in dressing and call it a salad!

I really like to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my food!

So yesterday I got my invoice for my health insurance premium. I was expecting it, but it was still a shock: $4802. (I elected to pay annually to save some money). It took more than half of my emergency/big ticket fund. Now I have to be really mindful to replenish the account so I'm not caught short next year.

Then I checked my retirement assets. I lost nearly $6,000 due to the stock market. I know, it will come back, but what a downer of a day!

Yesterday was my errand day. I went to the post office and mailed several packages. I had found many items while cleaning up my files that really belonged to my children. I also found things that would be useful to the new owner of my old house. In addition, I mailed back some shoes I borrowed from my niece at the funeral (my own shoes were hurting me.) And I had a few things to send to my cousin in Florida. Altogether the postage was $14.

I also bought groceries: $45. I bought the ingredients for two new recipes I took from a Woman's Day magazine I picked up at the library "free" table. The recipes are for inexpensive entrees. One is penne with spinach, mushrooms and bacon, and the other is a Mexican eggplant casserole. I made the first one this morning, and it's pretty good. It will last me several days, and then I'll try out the other one.

While I was out, I used my new Christmas toy, a TomTom navigator. I was relying on it to save me some gas, by giving me the best directions around town. Turns out it directed me to a post office that doesn't exist any more, so I wasted a lot of gas. Oh well. Now I know that I need to look up addresses and navigate specifically to them. I do love the TomTom. It was a present from my kids. It was a great help when I went to Michigan for my brother's funeral.

I just made "new patient" appointments with a doctor and a dentist here in my new locale. I made the doctor's appointment so I can get a referral for a mammogram, which is due to be done this month. The dentist's appointment is a six-month checkup that I should have done in December, but it was too busy a month for me. The dentist's assistant told me up front that the first visit will cost $225, which includes x-rays. Ugh. Healthcare is so expensive, even if you're healthy.

I broke my "fiscal fast" yesterday. I went to see "Atonement" with my sister. (It was an excellent movie.) Movies are my favorite thing, so I jump at the chance when anyone wants to go.

The good news is it was a matinee - $6 - and I resisted buying popcorn or drinks, even though I had skipped lunch and was pretty hungry.

In the evening I watched "Bobby" -- a Netflix movie, so it was quite a movie day. That was a good movie, too.

I reduced my Netflix subscription down to only two movies a month. I found I wasn't keeping up with watching them to make it worthwhile. So that's a savings of $8 a month.

Yesterday I did nothing money-related, except I didn't spend any!

My sister and her husband came over to play cards (that's cheap entertainment, folks!) They also brought soft drinks, cheese and crackers and brownies. Probably because the last time they came I offered very dry bagel chips and a mostly-used-up tub of French onion dip. I didn't have much on hand. I do need to be better about stocking snack foods that can be pulled out at a moment's notice.

Anyway, I not only didn't spend anything, but got free food!

Yesterday I crossed a few chores off my list. I went to the Social Security Administration building to order a new card (my old one was laminated, which made it invalid -- my ex did that for me a long time ago, but it wasn't until I got a driver's license here in NC that anyone questioned it). While I was there I asked a few questions about applying for benefits. I'm four years ahead of myself, but I did have a few questions!

Then I dropped off the dress clothes I wore to the funeral at the dry cleaners. This is the first time I've gone to the dry cleaner's since I retired -- I sure haven't missed that!

Then I stopped at an antique dealer's emporium to ask about renting a booth. I'd like to sell some things just for a little pin money. The rent is $125 a month, so I think I would have to have more inventory than I have right now to make it pay.

I didn't spend anything. If I can make it throught today and tomorrow without spending anything, I'll have gone a whole week!

Yesterday I tackled the cleanup from my file organization the day before. I had a huge stack of papers to shred, mostly because they had my social security number on them. My credit union AND my medical provider used to print my SSN on every document! Of course, ten years ago we didn't even think about it. Anyway, I had to get rid of them all. My shredder was not quite up to the task. It stopped several times during the process. I would clean out the teeth and let the motor cool down, and I eventually got through it, but it took a long time. Sometimes I just cut up papers myself in frustration. I wanted to run out and get a new, better shredder, but I remembered my resolution -- no unnecessary spending this month. A new shredder is not necessary. Nice, maybe but not necessary.

Well, now that the BIG job is done, I think the shredder will be fine for the few papers I do every day. That's the key -- I must do it every day, as I process the mail.

I'm going to think harder about what I save, too. A lot of records are available online now, like bank statements and such.

I paid my phone bill today ($44.92), but that is the first spending I've done since I got home on the 7th. I'm going to try to go a whole week -- a fiscal fast, as Mr. Yaeger recommended on this morning's Today Show. Other than that, I didn't get too much out of his spiel, but maybe his book is worth looking at. I think it was called The Road to Riches?